Buddy Hield Is 26 Years Old, Not 25

Third-year pro Buddy Hield is off to a stellar start this NBA season. In fact if his numbers keep up like this, we’re looking at a career year for the former sixth overall pick. In 31 games with the Sacramento Kings this season, Hield is averaging 19.9 points on 47.9 percent shooting. He’s also up to 43.3 percent from beyond the arc while attempting a career-high 7.0 three-point shots per game.

But for some reason, people keep thinking he’s 25 years old when he’s actually 26. Let’s be clear here: Hield has never hid from the fact that he’s 26 years old.

“That’s not their fault, not my fault,” he told NBC Sports’ James Ham after Sacramento’s loss to OKC on Wednesday night. “The first time I saw it on Wikipedia, my mom said, ‘Why do they have your age wrong?’ I said, ‘I have no idea.'”

So there you have it.

And yet it gets weirder for the 26-year-old. Hield was born in the Bahamas, but he came over with a passport. And that passport has the real year of his birth on it — which is 1992. So how did this keep happening for so long? That’s the mystery.

“I came over with a passport. My passport has 1992 on it. My driver’s license has 1992 on it. I just think people got their information from Wikipedia or wherever, and they just went with it. They just got it wrong.”

They sure did.

On the court, he and the Kings are off to a 16-15 start. They’ve lost two straight and are a mediocre 6-4 over their past 10, but they’re competitive. And to be honest, that’s a big deal for the Kings. Last season, they won just 27 games. This season, they’re a half-game out of the No. 7 seed out West (Houston Rockets). With Hield leading the charge, these Kings could be pretty special. Even if he’s a year older than we all thought.